Most Earth observation satellites carry instruments that should be operated at a relatively low altitude. Altitudes below 500-600 kilometers are in general avoided, though, because of the significant air-drag at such low altitudes making frequent orbit reboost maneuvres necessary. The Earth observation satellites ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat of European Space Agency as well as the MetOp spacecraft of EUMETSAT are all operated at altitudes of about 800km. The Proba-1, Proba-2 and SMOS spacecraft of European Space Agency are observing the Earth from an altitude of about 700km.

To get (nearly) global coverage with a low orbit it must be a polar orbit or nearly so. A low orbit will have an orbital period of roughly 100 minutes and the Earth will rotate around its polar axis with about 25 deg between successive orbits, with the result that the ground track is shifted towards west with these 25 deg in longitude. Most are in sun-synchronous orbits.

Earth observation

Earth observation is the gathering of information about planet Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems via remote sensing technologies supplemented by earth surveying techniques, encompassing the collection, analysis and presentation of data. Earth observation is used to monitor and assess the status of, and changes in, the natural environment and the built environment. In recent years, Earth observation has become technologically increasingly sophisticated. It has also become more important due to the dramatic impact that modern human civilization is having on the planet Earth, and the need to minimize negative impacts along with the opportunities Earth observation provides to improve social and economic well-being.

Earth observations can include:

• numerical measurements taken by a thermometer, wind gauge, ocean buoy, altimeter or seismometer
• photos and radar or sonar images taken from ground or ocean-based instruments
• photos and radar images taken from remote-sensing satellites
• decision-support tools based on processed information, such as maps and models

Most Earth observation satellites carry instruments that should be operated at a relatively low altitude. Altitudes below 500-600 kilometers are in general avoided, though, because of the significant air-drag at such low altitudes making frequent orbit reboost maneuvres necessary. The Earth observation satellites ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat of European Space Agency as well as the MetOp spacecraft of EUMETSAT are all operated at altitudes of about 800km. The Proba-1, Proba-2 and SMOS spacecraft of European Space Agency are observing the Earth from an altitude of about 700km.

To get (nearly) global coverage with a low orbit it must be a polar orbit or nearly so. A low orbit will have an orbital period of roughly 100 minutes and the Earth will rotate around its polar axis with about 25 deg between successive orbits, with the result that the ground track is shifted towards west with these 25 deg in longitude. Most are in sun-synchronous orbits.

Latest News for: earth observation satellite

In three years, India will have more eyes in space observing the earth in high resolution, as the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) plans to launch 17 earthobservationsatellites... “Isro proposes to launch 17 satellites for earthobservation, including weather satellites during the next three years,” said Jitendra Singh, minister of state, ......

During the same time frame, Isro spent Rs 7,209 crore on various missions in the areas of space transportation systems, earthobservation, satellite communication and navigation, space science and planetary exploration ... In September this year, Isro’s PSLV will exclusively launch two UK earthobservationsatellites weighing 450 kg each....

“We have also identified 50 satellites that will be launched over the coming three years,” Mr Sivan said on the sidelines of an event here to unveil a statue (bust) of the father of India”s space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, on his 99th birth anniversary ... Advanced satellites which can perform earthobservation, ocean mapping etc will be launched over the coming year, Sivan said....

The Earth, essentially, is panting ... They based their conclusions on thousands of observations at hundreds of sites around the world ... “This is a finding based on observations in the real world,” Bond-Lamberty said. “This is not a tightly controlled lab experiment… We are only observing the Earth ... The Earth, essentially, is panting ... Earth is panting as soil struggles to keep up with climate change....

Forests are being cleared by humans at an alarming rate ... We set out to expand on this research by exploring change in woody plant cover outside of forests for the entire sub-Saharan Africa region using satellite imagery going back to 1986 ... Since 2017, hundreds of earthobservationsatellites, including the toaster-sized ones launched by satellite company Planet, have given us the ability to monitor every point on the planet every day ... ....

In the northwest of the island near the epicenter, the rupturing faultline lifted the earth by a quarter of a meter. In other places it dropped by 5-15 centimeters (2-6 inches). NASA said satelliteobservations can help authorities respond to earthquakes and other natural or manmade disasters ...Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said three districts in the north of Lombok still haven’t received any assistance ... 25 ... ___ ... ....

"We have also identified 50 satellites that will be launched over the coming three years," Sivan said on the sidelines of an event here to unveil a statue (bust) of the father of India's space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, on his 99th birth anniversary ... Advanced satellites which can perform earthobservation, ocean mapping etc will be launched over the coming year, Sivan said....

"We have also identified 50 satellites that will be launched over the coming three years," Sivan said on the sidelines of an event here to unveil a statue (bust) of the father of India's space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, on his 99th birth anniversary ... Advanced satellites which can perform earthobservation, ocean mapping etc will be launched over the coming year, Sivan said....

Among the key missions to look for in 2019 will be the Chandrayaan-2, Aditya-L1 (India's solar mission) and two demonstration flights of the SSLV (small satellite launch vehicle) ... The other big scientific project will be the Aditya-L1, which will study the Sun's surface, in December, while a series of earthobservation and communication satellites have also been lined up....

Using satellite images of Lombok from the days following the Aug ... In the northwest of the island near the epicenter, the rupturing fault line lifted the earth by 10 inches. In other places it dropped by 2-6 inches. NASA said satelliteobservations can help authorities respond to earthquakes and other natural or manmade disasters ... 25 ... Devout villagers are making plans for temporary replacements of mosques that were flattened....

The fascinating space adventures of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand the future of business and industry here on Earth...Copernicus, which generates a mind-boggling 12 terabytes of Earth-observation data daily, is considered the world’s third largest satellite data provider and offers photographs of sea topography, land temperature, vegetation changes, and weather patterns....

The UK’s first spaceport could launch around 2,000satellites by 2030 as part of efforts to bring in £3.8 billion through the industry, according to new figures ... If approved, it could see a vertical launch site built for a new generation of small rockets to launch micro communication and earth-observationsatellites ... The 2,000 satellites are forecast to launch between 2021 and 2030....

Scientists say the powerful Indonesian earthquake that killed nearly 400 people lifted the island it struck by as much as 25cm ... Using satellite images of Lombok from the days following the Aug ... In the northwest of the island near the epicenter, the rupturing faultline lifted the earth by a quarter of a meter ... NASA said satelliteobservations can help authorities respond to earthquakes and other natural or human-caused disasters ... 25 ... ....